When I talk to fellow humans about the female reproductive system, I am always shocked at the misinformation or blatant ignorance people have. Whether you experience periods or not, the chances are that you know someone who does. And to not know how that system works does a disservice to those who experience periods. Emma … Continue reading
Category Archives: nonfiction
Review of “Crises of Democracy”: Can we predict the fall of democratic institutions?
Crises of Democracy written by Professor of Politics, Adam Przeworski could not have been written at a more critical moment in our contemporary political climate. All around the world, it seems that large political shifts are occurring, the results and effects of which we are yet to learn. Whether it is the rise of Jair … Continue reading
Understanding Black Hair Culture: a review of Emma Dabiri’s “Don’t Touch My Hair”
Emma Dabiri’s part memoir part scholarly investigation of African hair culture in and outside of African countries is close to my research heart. I have always been fascinated by female hair and beauty and the culture around it. So much so, that I wrote my master’s thesis on Black hair. Female hair and beauty are … Continue reading
Making Sense of Loneliness: a review of Olivia Laing’s “The Lonely City”
After living in Switzerland for six years, I have been thinking a lot about loneliness and what it means for us humans. I have been thinking about whether loneliness is ever good for us? Are their ways that we could harness our lonely moments to learn more about ourselves? I have wondered about the difference … Continue reading
A Review of “Be the Change” by Gina Martin: activism, writing, and social media
When I saw Gina Martin’s activism guide, I was intrigued. I spent most of my early life and teenage years volunteering, raising money for charities, and working with different NGOs to spread awareness and help raise funds. It was an extremely rewarding time in my life, and I was able to raise over 40,000 AUD … Continue reading
Women in racing: a review of Clare Balding’s memoir “My Animals and Other Family”
“Be consistent. Be fair and honest.” p161 Clare Balding’s memoir My Animals and Other Family was first published in 2012. At the heart of it, Balding’s memoir is an exploration of the importance animals can have on our childhoods and our lives in general. Each chapter is a different animal that left a mark on … Continue reading
“Anxiety: the missing stage of Grief”: a review and personal exploration of Claire Bidwell-Smith’s grief self-help book
When my father died in 2011, my whole world was flipped on its head. I have spent most of my 20s coming to terms with death, loss, and grief, and this is also evidenced in the types of books I have read throughout this time. This can be seen in my reviews of fiction works … Continue reading
What the self-help book “The Courage to Be Disliked” gets right and wrong
I bought The Courage to Be Disliked because I was curious to learn more about what the book had to offer. There has been an explosion of self-help literature in the 21st Century, and it probably has something to do with our chronic feelings of loneliness, burnout, and fear of not fitting into society. Japanese … Continue reading
“Running with Scissors”: a review of Augusten Burroughs’ memoir
Running with Scissors is one of those books that I have wanted to read for such a long time, but somehow never managed to find the book at the right moment. When I found a second-hand copy of the memoir at a second-hand book fair in Geneva, I decided to pick it up. The book … Continue reading
“Happy Fat” this summer: a review of Sofie Hagen’s book about fat activism
Finding this book has been 2019 gold for me. It has also been exceptionally fortuitous to read this book at the beginning of summer, a time for many people that singles stress and anxiety around their bodies. This book was my first deep-dive into fat activism and the fat positivity movement, and I feel like … Continue reading
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